7 Most Important Declarations in Trump’s ‘America-First’ Foreign Policy Speech

Spencer Platt/Getty Images28 Apr 2016

JERUSALEM – On Wednesday, Donald Trump delivered a remarkably nationalist, pro-Western foreign policy speech titled “America-First” in which the presidential candidate set out his defense and foreign policy goals.

Here are the seven most important declarations in his speech, enumerated in no particular order.

1 –Trump declared he “will always put the interests of the American people and American security above all else.”

It has to be first. Has to be. That will be the foundation of every single decision that I will make. America First will be the major and overriding theme of my administration.

2 – Trump made clear that Western civilization is at war with radical Islam as opposed to the dangerously obtuse “violent extremism” rhetoric that President Obama has deployed, largely ignoring the Islamic extremist motivations of our enemies.

Our actions in Iraq, Libya, and Syria have helped unleash ISIS, and we’re in a war against radical Islam, but President Obama won’t even name the enemy, and unless you name the enemy, you will never ever solve the problem. …

Hillary Clinton also refuses to say the words radical Islam, even as she pushes for a massive increase in refugees coming into our country.

Trump used the occasion to call for NATO, which includes terror-supporting Turkey among its ranks, to fight Islamic terrorism. “Containing the spread of radical Islam must be a major foreign policy goal of the United States and indeed the world,” he added.

3 – The billionaire singled out for reassessment “senseless” immigration policies that likely help to import Islamic extremists.

The struggle against radical Islam also takes place in our homeland. There are scores of recent migrants inside our borders charged with terrorism. For every case known to the public, there are dozens and dozens more. We must stop importing extremism through senseless immigration policies. We have no idea where these people are coming from. There’s no documentation. There’s no paperwork. There’s nothing. We have to be smart. We have to be vigilant. A pause for reassessment will help us to prevent the next San Bernardino or frankly, much worse.

4 – Trump understands that U.S. “military dominance must be unquestioned,” and that under Obama, our once great military has been perilously weakened, with critical defense programs slashed.

We will spend what we need to rebuild our military. We will spend what we need to rebuild our military. It is the cheapest, single investment we can make. We will develop, build, and purchase the best equipment known to mankind. Our military dominance must be unquestioned, and I mean unquestioned, by anybody and everybody.

He alluded to progressive plans, backed by Obama, to convert segments of the U.S. military into forces directed to fight so-called global warming.

President Obama has proposed a 2017 defense budget that, in real dollars, cuts nearly 25 percent from what we were spending in 2011. Our military is depleted and we’re asking our generals and military leaders to worry about global warming.

5 – Trump used clear language to declare a war on the “false song of globalism,” a tune that Obama has been singing since he came to office in 2008.

We will no longer surrender this country or its people to the false song of globalism. The nation-state remains the true foundation for happiness and harmony. I am skeptical of international unions that tie us up and bring America down and will never enter. And under my administration, we will never enter America into any agreement that reduces our ability to control our own affairs. … Under a Trump administration, no American citizen will ever again feel that their needs come second to the citizens of a foreign country.

6 – Trump used his speech to indicate he will go after Hillary Clinton regarding her role in the September 11, 2012 Benghazi attacks.

After Secretary Clinton’s failed intervention in Libya, Islamic terrorists in Benghazi took down our consulate and killed our ambassador and three brave Americans. Then, instead of taking charge that night, Hillary Clinton decided to go home and sleep. Incredible. Clinton blames it all on a video, an excuse that was a total lie, proven to be absolutely a total lie.

Our ambassador was murdered and our secretary of state misled the nation. And, by the way, she was not awake to take that call at 3 o’clock in the morning.

7 – Trump rightfully slammed the Obama administration and international community for ignoring the plight of Christians in the Middle East, where they are being persecuted by the Islamic State and other radical Islamic groups.

We’ve made the Middle East more unstable and chaotic than ever before. We left Christians subject to intense persecution and even genocide. We have done nothing to help the Christians, nothing, and we should always be ashamed for that, for that lack of action.